Fundraisers

We intend to keep everybody up to date with all the events organised to raise money for FIT. Please get involved and contact us with your ideas

AmazonSmile

This is a simple and automatic way for you to support a charity of your choice every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.co.uk, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as amazon.co.uk, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your selected charity.

EasyFundraising

It’s simple to use and it’s free. Since we launched in 2005, we’ve helped thousands of good causes raise money simply by shopping online. Our community of over 1.6 million loyal supporters has so far raised over £26 million. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/

Recycle4Charity

Helps its thousands of members raise funds for charity by providing a free, easy to use, custom branded recycling programme. We service the recycling and fundraising needs of the smallest home user to the largest business and charity campaigns. We recycle empty printer inkjet cartridges. https://www.recycle4charity.co.uk/AboutUs

David Heneghan

David and friends cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats last year with 2 of his friends. This year he intends cycling for 24 hours. He hopes he can stay on his bike for 16-20 hours and cycle for approximately 400 km. Please support him at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidHeneghan24hourcycle

Lynda Haines

Lynda has some great ideas for fundraising for us. She sold all these Aloe Vera plants and the proceeds were donated. Watch this space!

Alness Pharmacy

A pharmacy in Alness has chosen Aspergillosis Trust as their charity for this year. They are fundraising for Aspergillosis Research after speaking to Derek Campbell’s wife. Derek suffers from Aspergillosis.

Catherine Rusling Atkinson

For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to Fungal Infection Trust. I’ve chosen this charity because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope that you’ll consider contributing as a way of celebrating with me. Every little bit will help me reach my goal. I’ve included information about Fungal Infection Trust below.

Yvonne Gibson

I’m going to be doing a Skydive in August to raise money for two charities very close to my heart. The charities I am raising money for are Brain Tumour Research and Aspergillosis Trust. These charities badly need funds to aid in the research to fight back against these potentially deadly illnesses.

Yvonne had to cancel her skydive because of bad weather. The new date is going to be on 10th November. This gives us more time to raise money for both causes.

Sandra Hicks

Please help me raise awareness about aspergillosis, a condition that I’ve had for about 11 years. Aspergillosis is a term for a range of serious fungal infections, usually in lungs and sinuses. It’s due to the fungus Aspergillus, which is in soil and decaying plant matter. Any funds donated to Aspergillosis Trust will go directly to the Fungal Infection Trust. This is for much needed research into aspergillosis, to help find better ways of detecting and managing it. Currently, as many as 1 in 5 patients have antifungal-resistant aspergillosis – I’m one of them! Aspergillosis Trust aims to raise awareness so that it is diagnosed and treated earlier, as this helps outcomes. Asthma flare-ups, despite using inhalers correctly? Chest infections not improving with antibiotics? Choking-coughing fits, sometimes with blood? Please see your GP and ask about aspergillosis. See more information on aspergillosis at the website and my story in the media articles at https://aspergillosistrust.org/media/

The Velvet Easel Gallery

The 2020 Art of Portobello calendar is now available at The Velvet Easel Gallery, 298 Portobello High Street…this year the gallery will donate £1 per calendar to The Aspergillus Trust https://velveteasel.co.uk/

I thought I’d share with you my big challenge this year…. I’m going to be running the Brighton Marathon in April! I’ve never ran a full marathon before, but have run half marathons. It’s a big step….literally!

I have CPA and was diagnosed in 2016. Previous to this I had hypersensitivitiy pneumonitis (extrinsic allergcalvelotis), and several pneumothoraxes, (collapsed lung) resulting in a pleurectomy. I won’t go into the detail too much about all of these, as I expect you’re all familiar/aware of them. However, needless to say, it was a shock to suddenly become so ill at the start of all of this, back in 2006. I was hoping to start university (as a mature student), doing Performing Arts, but had to defer my place for a year because I was too poorly. I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs and I remember one time having oxygen delivered to me at home.

Previous to all of this, I have always been fit and healthy. I used to run regularly, cycle, aerobics and have always been musical. Suddenly, all this came to a halt. Because of a delay in diagnosing my initial condition, that is where my lungs become scarred, which subsequently brought on Aspergillosis. I remember being in hospital and not knowing what I had as was awaiting to have a biopsy uner general, because I was too ill for keyhole. I was thinking, what is going on… as well as feeling scared…. and fed up of being in hospital.

Moving forward several years, after being on and off steroids, getting better, then getting ill again, being put on anti-fungals (Itraconazole), I was eventually referred to Wythenshaw Hospital, where my condition has been monitored and treated. At the moment, I feel great (apart from the side-effects of a high dose of Voriconazole). I almost feel I don’t need the medication anymore, but I know previously that when I stopped, I became ill again. But who knows what will happen. All I know is that I’m making the most of feeling great at the moment and wanted to use this opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the Aspergillosis Trust, as without them, I would be in a very bad way. I would also like to add how grateful I am to my partner for being there for me and especially for driving me all the way to Manchester and back for appointments! That’s always a very long day indeed!

So, onto the marathon! I started about 3 weeks late into my training plan, but have steadily caught up. I’ve not kept to the rigid plan as it requires, as life gets in the way, but I’m doing what I can to keep up! So far, my longest miles training (during a week) has been around 45 miles! I have a 20 mile race this weekend (16th March), which will be the longest I’ve ever run. It’s an organised event, so that should help with the mental aspect, as I find training on my own can become a bit of a chore! I spend a lot of time thinking, when I’m out running! It’s tough and tiring fitting it all this training in, plus working full time. I seem to spend a lot of my time planning my diary when to fit in runs….. and checking the weather forecast… oh and buying lots of bananas! I might add that my friend is also running the marathon with me (for a different charity). We may or may not run together, depending on how we’re feeling on the day. It’s funny how you can have bursts of energy at times, then other times feel like you’re running through treacle! As long as my friend and I meet at the end (as she’s giving me a lift home!)

I’m not out to achieve an amazing time on the day of the race, I just want to get round the course in one piece! I know this will be a massive achievement for me and one that I feel grateful for the Aspergillosis Trust for giving me the opportunity to do!

Take care everyone and I’ll speak soon!

Here’s my next instalment in my marathon training blog.

So today I ran my longest training run….ever, 20 miles! It was a very blustery day and the wind was predominately in front of us. I suppose it’s a good way to get a cheap facelift! Whenever the wind was behind us (rarely), my legs could just about keep up! It was like someone set the treadmill at high speed!

I had the usual nerves at the start of the race, (will the toilet queue go down in time before the start, will I need the toilet later on, will I have enough energy to keep going, …… the usual). However, all of these were ok. I managed to keep running pretty much the whole of the race, just stopping about 5 times for 30 seconds max to get out my energy gels and a protein bar (which wasn’t very nice), but means must!

My legs seemed to keep going somehow, it was my mind that was the struggle. I decided to use a trick that apparently Paula Radcliffe uses, that is counting backwards from 100 (in my head, I might add!). I tried this but found it too much to get past 80, so instead, started at 1 counting up to 100, keeping each number in time with my breathing. I must have counted to approximately 5,000 (in bursts of 100), from around mile 16. That’s when it started to become challenging and energy levels needed more of a boost.

I was running with my friend, who’s also training for Brighton Marathon. We kept each other in good company, managing to talk some reasonable conversation up until around mile 13, then we both gave up talking, instead just talking in our heads! 🙂

Today’s race was an organised 20-mile race, which also included a 20 km race for anyone wanting to that instead. Running today’s mileage alongside lots of other like, I mean, crazy-minded people, made it more bearable! It’s funny how so many people comment with the same comments, such as “why did we sign up to this?” or “it’ll be worth it in the…. just think about the cake” (which was very welcome by the way!)

At least the rain stayed away! That’s a blessing!

So a few day’s rest now, until I begin my next week of training! Oh the joys!

Take care and I’ll speak soon!

Maria

Blog number 3!

It’s been a tough few weeks, not just from the training, but my CPA. Since running the 20 mile race, I must have picked up a cold or something but notthe usual blowing nose, sore throat type cold, this has affectedmy chest. So I’ve been coughing up ‘stuff’ most days, mainly at night and morning. This has created a bit of a strain between my partner and me, as my coughing is disturbing both our sleep. So I’ve been in a separate bed for at least a week, which hasn’t helped my sleeping either! I attended my next appointment at Wythenshawe last Friday (22nd March). The doctor (a new one, not seen before), was answering all my questions and explained a lot more I felt. Awaiting results of samples, but most probably stay on the same meds.

I’ve still been out running, just coughing more when running, but nothing to stop me. I’ve managed 2 long-ish runs this weekend (9 miles Saturday, 10 miles Sunday), which is always tough running the day after the other, but apparently, there is reasoning behind this. That is, you’re supposed to feel more tired running on Sunday and this will give a true indication of the last 6 or so miles of the marathon. So if you can run on tired legs on a Sunday, the plan is you should be able to run the last stretch of the marathon! Also on 24th March, my running partner and I ran an organised race in Aberdale, Wales. We ran 16 miles, which was 5 times around a very pleasant (if a little hilly) nature reserve. The weather was lovely too. I particularly enjoyed the pit stops on each loop, where there was a free selection of various sweets, biscuits, savouries and drinks! It was a shame to leave it and to start another loop! (but there was always the next time round to try more treats!). There were lots of runners taking part, but not everyone ran the same distance; you could choose how many laps you wanted to run/walk (one lady was walking the route with walking poles). One crazy guy was planning on running 40 miles! Every time we passed him, he looked as fresh as a daisy!

With the weather turning warmer now, I have to be careful about my skin when out running (and in general), as the Voriconazole affects my skin. I wear a cap/hat, have factor 50 lip balm and put factor 50 on my face and hands, but I do find my hands get cold, so I have sleeves to cover them, but then they get hot, so I uncover them, which probably then wipes away the suncream! Aghhhhh! I’m noticing my legs are getting redder too! Plus my hair is still coming out when I brush it! Aghhhh!

Now with only 2 weeks to go (eeek), I can taper down my training, so no need for excessive mileage, but still need to get out there. This will be a welcome break. I read on a Running website (from Paula Radcliffe no less), that you should listen to your body and know when to have a rest; don’t worry about sticking to a training plan if you can’t. This is very good advice, and probably something I should have done on the Wednesday last week, as because of my disturbed sleep, feeling low from relationship strain and constant running, I almost got run over out on a run! I did look before I crossed the road and I never wear headphones, but I guess it was a culmination of things. I felt a little shaken, but thankfully, I’m still here!

So the final push now. Two weeks to go! Hoping the weather stays kind, especially on the big day!

Take care all and speak soon!

Maria

Blog No 4!

I’m not sticking to the training plan this week, as it actually suggests running 3 miles the day before the marathon! I know that I’ll be doing a lot of walking around the marathon village, so that will be enough exercise for me thank you very much!

I ran 5 miles on Friday evening, and 10 miles Saturday morning, then around 5 miles this afternoon. That is it now! I was planning to run on Monday, but I woke up with a terrible headache, which lingered from Sunday afternoon/evening. I phoned work Monday morning to say I would be coming in but would be late as my head was so bad it was making me feel sick, (maybe it was a migraine?) They wanted me to stay home, but I’m terrible at being off, so I trundled into work about an hour and half later, taking the time off as time in lieu. I still didn’t feel right, and didn’t look right either, then proceeded to throw up 3 times during the day. I spent my lunch break sleeping in my chair. I hardly ate anything that day, (not ideal during marathon week!) I went home and slept for 2 hours, then woke up a little more refreshed and finally was able to eat something. The following day I felt better and started eating properly again. This was not the week to be ill and miss out on carbs (or anything for that matter!)

Anyway, there’s nothing more I can do regarding my training, and any extra running may even be detrimental. When I ran today, I was noticing little issues with my ankle and knee, but I think I’m just paranoid now about picking up any injuries. I’m trying to keep calm about everything, but when you’re a worryer like me, it’s difficult!

I’ve glanced at the forecast for Sunday and it looks dry, which is great. Apparently there’s an ‘Active Experience’ app, which you can use to follow runners during the race. You just type in their name (mine if you so wish :-)) and following their progress! I won’t know my number until I collect it on Saturday.

Thank you all for following my journey so far! I look forward to finally running the race on Sunday and will update you afterwards!

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